​Justice Montgomery is recovering from a series of brutal tragedies around town and a devastating fire at a party she attended that killed a classmate. In the midst of these strange tragedies, Justice learns that she is an Aziza, or half-Aziza, rather, a special form of hidden supernatural creatures that is meant to protect people from evil supernatural beings.  On top of that, Justice is the chosen Guardian of the Aziza and must defeat an ancient evil to fulfill a prophecy.  With demons running around town, neighborhood witches trying to help, a Strix advisor and new powers, Justice is simply trying her best to keep the Goddess of Hell from being resurrected to bring about the end of the world. 

The Aziza Chronicles: Awakening is a magical young adult fantasy.  I was very interested in the Aziza, their history, powers and what the Aziza Guardian is protecting the world from.  I appreciated that this ancient magic originated in Africa and was passed down through descendants.  Justice is an amazing and complex character who not only deals with finding out that she has amazing powers that are meant to save the world, but also the daily struggles of friendships, dating and a ghost that is following her around.  Through all of this, Justice seemed to think deeply about her decisions and the effects they would have. I also held a soft spot for Esmerelda, the ghost, whose death seemed to make her a better, more caring person in her ghosthood and I wish we could see more of her.  The writing was fast paced and exciting leaving Justice with more to do in following books.



This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

Elijah Kelly is a brakman in one of the world's last surviving floating cities. In 1890, after the Wounded Knee Massacre, an outbreak of werewolves overtook Earth.  Tesla, along with a secret order of scientists who followed him, the Tellurians built the floating salvation cities and kept them running.  However, the Tellurians are hiding dangerous secrets under their long robes.  Now, twenty years after the outbreak, there is only one salvation city aloft and the outbreak is still rampant on Earth.  When a werewolf lands on the floating city, Eli gets bitten trying to rescue his best friend, Henry.  Not wanting to infect his city, Eli gets dropped off on Earth where he discovers that the werewolves may not be the scariest things on Earth.

Gearteeth is an immersive steampunk fantasy.  There is action right from the very beginning, as I was thrown into a very different world. I was immediately intrigued by the flying cities and how they were kept aloft.  Then, with the sudden appearance of werewolves, the story evolved and grew in it's mystery.  I was amazed that the author could make all of these very different elements work together in a cohesive way that also made sense.  From the point of Eli's infection and him trying to keep it a secret, the tensions rose.  I was really interested in the Tellurians and what science they were using as well as the many secrets they were hiding.  When Eli is left on Earth, the pacing picks up as he learns the truth about the werewolves and how they were created.  Some of Eli's family history is also revealed that adds another layer to the werewolf infection.  Ending with Eli just out of danger and many more mysteries to solve, I look forward to reading more of the Gearteeth trilogy. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.